The present invention relates generally to trailer hitch assemblies and, more particularly, to a trailer hitch assembly incorporating at least one and more preferably two accessory ports for receiving and holding any number of recreational and utilitarian accessories such as a bike rack, ski rack, cargo carrier or the like.
It has long been known to construct trailer hitch assemblies that are mounted to vehicles in order to allow the towing of trailers or the like. In recent years, such hitch assemblies have been designed to include a receiver box having a rearwardly directed opening or cavity for receipt of a hitch or draw bar that carries a hitch ball or other means allowing connection to a trailer. Examples of such a structure include U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,837 to Reese and U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,198 to Borchers, both owned by Reese Products, Inc., the assignee of the present invention.
While a single receiver box is particularly well adapted for receiving and holding a hitch bar and cooperating ball for towing a trailer, it is not as effective for mounting various popular accessories such as bike racks, ski racks, snow board racks, folding tables, work benches and cargo carriers. This is because a single point of connection does not provide the desired stability to the accessory. This may only generally be achieved by means of spaced multipoint connection.
Toward this end, multipoint trailer hitch accessory mounting arrangements have been previously developed. An example of one such approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,276 to Devito. This patent discloses a trailer hitch assembly including a basic frame comprising a cross member that carries a receiver box and a pair of mounting brackets for securing to a vehicle. The apparatus also includes a pair of spaced accessory mounting ports. The accessory mounting ports are each carried on a bracket that plugs into the end of the cross member.
While the apparatus disclosed in the Devito patent provides a spaced two point connection for stably supporting the illustrated article carrier, the apparatus is not without its drawbacks. It should be recognized that the brackets and accessory mounting ports are outboard the mounting brackets that secure the assembly to the frame of the vehicle. Such an arrangement prevents the application of this apparatus to many vehicles as existing rear wraparound quarter panels and exhaust systems on those vehicles interfere with and prevent the securing of the brackets that carry the accessory mounting ports into the ends of the cross member.
Further, even when installation of the Devito apparatus is possible, it is not particularly user friendly. The ends of the accessory mounting ports extend parallel to the ground under the bumper of the vehicle. In such a position, it is difficult to visually align and insert the mounting posts of an accessory in the two widely spaced mounting ports.
A need is, therefore, identified for an improved multipoint accessory mounting system.
The present invention provides a trailer hitch assembly incorporating at least one accessory port for receiving and holding a recreational and utilitarian accessory such as a bike rack, ski rack, cargo carrier or the like. The trailer hitch assembly provides reliable, yet relatively inexpensive construction incorporating a pair of accessory ports adapted to provide two point connection of an accessory to the towing vehicle. The pair of accessory ports are advantageously oriented so as to be easily engaged with a recreational and utilitarian accessory for convenient use.
Advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an improved trailer hitch assembly is provided. The trailer hitch assembly includes a frame member, a mounting bracket carried adjacent each end of the frame member for securing the frame member to the vehicle, a hitch receiver box carried on the frame member and at least one accessory port for receiving and holding a recreational and utilitarian accessory. Preferably, a pair of accessory ports are provided with one port carried on the frame member between each of the mounting brackets and the hitch receiver box: that is inboard of the mounting brackets through which the apparatus is secured to the frame of the vehicle to which it is mounted. Each of the accessory ports projects rearwardly from the frame member a distance D and includes a circular opening for receiving and holding a recreational and utilitarian accessory. Such a recreational and utilitarian accessory may include but is not limited to a bike rack, a ski rack or a cargo carrier.
More specifically describing the invention, the hitch receiver box has a longitudinal axis extending in a first plane and each accessory port has a second longitudinal axis extending in a second plane B, the planes A and B defining an included angle of approximately 10-30xc2x0 and typically about 20xc2x0. As will be described in greater detail below, the relative orientation of the accessory ports with respect to the frame member, the hitch receiver box and the towing vehicle to which the assembly is mounted insures ease of accessory alignment and mounting for the benefit and satisfaction of the user.
Still other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.